


In Any Timeline

by shenala



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Fix-It, Gen, M/M, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), That Ending Was A No So Here's My Version
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-21 13:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18703591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shenala/pseuds/shenala
Summary: Spoilers.Fix-It for the ending.Again, spoilers.Chinese translation, thanks tojoankindom, available here:https://archiveofourown.org/works/19025866





	In Any Timeline

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [在所有时间线](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19025866) by [joankindom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/joankindom/pseuds/joankindom)



Looking around at the people scattered across the grass, it would've been impossible to guess what this motley crew of people had been through, both together and apart.

Today was just like a simple summer's day, nothing special about it, nothing to mark or celebrate, and yet, simply because of everyone who was there looking out over that lake, it was the daylight equivalent of setting off a fireworks display.

To his left was Steve, hunched over a sketchbook as he so often was these days, pencil furiously skating over the surface as he committed yet another memory of Bucky to the page.

On Steve's other side Sam had started softly snoring the second his head had hit the blanket he'd rolled up for a pillow.

Clint and his family took up another couple of blankets nearby, and there were more than a couple of targets already strung up in the trees for later. Natasha and Bruce were close enough to join in the Barton family conversation but still with enough distance for more private musings.

Then, of course, there was Pepper, her eldest asleep in her lap while their newborn slept soundly in the crook of her elbow, and of course Tony, who appeared to be using a Coke can to demonstrate some new genius theory to Stephen, Rhodey and Carol.

There were the Guardians throwing a frisbee around and shouting at Groot for having an unfair advantage, joined by Peter and a few of his friends that he'd bought along for the day. Thor had struck up a strong friendship with Wanda in the time since everything happened and was sprawled out on the grass while she and Valkyrie talked.

Scott and his daughter were joined by Hope and her father at the very edge of the water where they were sailing boats, while as far away from the lake as possible Fury sat in a chair on Stark's porch, both eyes closed to the world, Happy camped out in a similar state next to him.

And finally, on the blanket closest to their own were the Wakandans; Shuri, T'Challa, Nakia and Okoye, the former having only recently collapsed back next to her brother after wearing herself out in the frisbee game.

Yes, to an outside eye, to someone who didn't know their stories, it would look as though there were nothing missing. But despite their bright smiles and the easy laughter that filled the air that remained untrue. A lot of work had gone into fixing what had happened, so much that it still made Bucky shake his head in disbelief when he really thought about it...

It had been a real mess by the time Thanos and his army were done, the compound now a devastated battlefield. They had gathered, wordlessly, around Pepper and Peter who sat at Tony's feet, until Shuri stepped forward and asked: "will you let me try?". And the answer was yes. So with the help of a portal from Doctor Strange, Tony was taken to Wakanda, and Shuri tried.

It took time, and hope, and numerous false starts, but eventually her "will you let me try?" became "he'll be waking up within the next hour", and he did. Stark was confused and covered his fears with sarcasm as always, but when it sunk in that he really was back, that Thanos was really gone and that yes, he'd get to keep his family, that gave way for unadulterated gratefulness towards the Princess, something Bucky knew all about, of course.

The compound had been cleaned up pretty quickly once a bit of magic was applied, something Strange grumbled about before he was convinced by Wong, and the world that had collapsed into ruin when half of its number vanished sprung anew into a planet of hope and gratitude for getting back what it had lost.

But still not perfect, no. At this thought, Bucky's eyes wandered over to Thor and Wanda, the two who carried the loss from this battle. Thor who still did not have his brother, or indeed any of his family, despite everyone's best efforts to figure out a way, who still struggled with the guilt of losing not only Asgard but half of their number as they fled to Earth for refuge. And Wanda, who had acknowledged that Vision couldn't be brought back without the stone and a few monumental, accidental screwups, with a strength that made something inside Bucky burn, it was pride he thought.

From there, his gaze switched to Natasha, a smile instantaneous upon his face as he did. They had a complicated past, to put it lightly, but he was glad that she was back, she held everyone together more than anyone, especially herself, had ever realised.

And of course, his eyes couldn't stay away from Steve for too long even when he tried, but thinking about how Nat had returned in the first place drew his attention back to the blonde anyway. What an interesting day that had been...

He had known, Bucky now realised, that there was something in Steve's eyes that was causing that coiled sense of unease in the pit of his stomach. Something about the way he took them back to that night at the fair with a simple, "Don't do anything stupid until I come back", that left Bucky resigned to the fact that Steve was not going to follow the plan. Because when did Steve Rogers ever follow the plan?

And so he waited, while Bruce and Sam pressed buttons in panic and shouted over each other, he stood, he watched, and he waited.

Until...

"Sorry guys took a detour."

And then there he was, holding an unbroken shield in one hand and a very much alive Natasha in the other.

The former was tossed to Sam, who fumbled the catch slightly before looking up at Steve with wide-eyes. "It's yours if you want it Sam, can't think of anyone better to carry it."

The latter was gently passed off to Bruce with a short but succinct explanation of "I discussed things with the stone and we worked out that the price had been paid so stone goes back where it belongs and so does Nat."

And then it was just them, two Brooklyn boys, surrounded by trees and water, over a century from when they were born. One blonde, one brunette, ocean blue and steel grey staring each other down.

It was Steve who broke first, because it was always Steve who broke first in these situations, and he looked down at where he was scuffing the earth with his shoe sheepishly, "Guess I forgot to mention my idea huh?"

Bucky gave him silence in return.

A hand now rubbing the back of his neck broadcast his nervousness before he continued, "So, I stopped in to see Peggy, gave her that dance I owed her. Turns out I could do with a few more of your lessons Buck. Told her where to find me, well the me in her timeline anyway, and how to find you. Then I thought y'know I'd take a look see how things worked out that way, grab a shield for Sam and then bring Nat back."

More silence was given, Bucky's gaze still unwavering. Don't try to outstare a sniper Steve.

"Right, well, uh, Schmidt was there when I took the stone back, still red and unhappy to see me. He wasn't really in the mood to talk so I argued it out with the stone instead, which worked pretty well."

Finally, a response came, "How did things work out?"

The confusion was clear on Steve's face at the question, "what do you mean Buck? I just expl..."

"No" he interrupted, "in the timeline where neither of us overstays our welcome in the freezer, how did things work out?"

Confusion made way for a bright, clear smile that made Bucky's heart ache almost as much as the answer that followed... "We got married."

Nodding, Bucky couldn't really fault that because of course, if Steve had returned from the war then that's what would've happened, "Yeah, I always thought that'd be where you two ended up."

With that, the confusion reappeared but only a for a split-second before Steve stepped closer, shaking his head. "No Bucky" he clarified, reaching out to take a metal hand into a grip of warm flesh, "we got married. I mean we had to wait until 2011 obviously, but we had all those years together, turns out we age a little slower than normal, and then you asked and I said yes, so we got married."

Then it had been Bucky's turn to shake his head, unable to comprehend what Steve was telling him, "But.. I don't.. Steve.."

"Buck, I've been swearing one thing to you since we were kids, and this doesn't look like the end of the line to me, pal."

With a broken sob, Bucky found himself wrapped securely in Steve's warm embrace, as he whispered into long, brown hair "in any timeline, across any universe, I will always choose you, Bucky Barnes."

Pulled from his reminiscing, he looked up to find Stark waving a bottle of beer in front of his face which he snatched with thanks before Steve abandoned his sketchbook and instead turned his dexterous fingers to the much more important task of twirling in Bucky's hair.

"Whatcha thinking about Buck?"

"Just how we got here"

At his snort, the pair looked up at Tony who was smirking down at them, daughter cradled at his hip, "some advice Buckaroo, from an old man like me to an even older man like yourself, the past is done. No point reminiscing or wondering what if. This is what we've got" he gestured with an arm to their gathered family, "we lost it and we got it back, now we treasure it."

Turning to walk away, the genius stopped before shouting back, "hey Cap?"  
waking Sam with a start and a grumbled, "what?".

"How do you feel about painting the wings r-"  
"No"  
"What do you mean no? You didn't even let me finish."  
"The answers still no"  
"But..."

Letting the bickering of their friends wash over him, Bucky leaned back into Steve, entwining their hands, metal meeting metal this time, and grinned up at him, "I suppose he's right. Happy anniversary Stevie."

"Happy anniversary Buck"

 

\------------------------------------------

Later that evening, when the pair were wrapped around each other in the bed of their Brooklyn home, Bucky finally asked the question that had been lingering since the moment Steve had tossed Sam the shield. "Do you miss it?"

Steve turned in his arms to meet his gaze and gave an unequivocal "no. I don't."

To be honest, Bucky had been expecting at least some sort of caveat but instead, there was nothing but Steve's unwavering certainty.

The blonde smiled at his surprise, before adding, "Y'know I asked Tony that question? He said "Rogers, me, you and Barnes have done enough. We've gone through space wormholes, tried to contain 6 infinity stones, drowned, fallen off trains, been frozen, been tortured and probably 50 other terrible things I've forgotten to mention. We fought and we fought, we got knocked down and then stood right back up. We've torn ourselves and each other apart. We're done. That's it. The world doesn't need us anymore, but by my maths, it does owe us a chance to live our lives." And he's right, Buck. Me and you? We're a long way from where we started, and god, I wish that you didn't go through what you did, but we're here. We're healthy, we're together, and yeah, we're done. Someone else can be in charge for a while."

With a snort, Bucky laughed, "You've never been great at taking orders Steve"

"Shut up jerk, I didn't say anything about taking orders, I'm just not interested in giving them anymore. I mean unless you wanna start doing what I tell you?"

"Keep dreaming punk."

**Author's Note:**

> The ending they gave Steve left me with a really bitter taste in my mouth, and not from a "Stucky" point of view, it just didn't fit in any way. So I wrote a Stucky version.


End file.
